Coronavirus: Apple and Google come with Bluetooth tracking

The coronavirus also has unexpected technological consequences. Apple and Google are launching a joint initiative to help governments curb the spread of COVID-19. There will be a technique that will determine who has been in contact with whom via Bluetooth. According to companies, privacy and security are essential.

Companies do not come with their own applications, but with techniques that help governments create applications that can detect infections. Ultimately, the functionality even has to be fully integrated into iOS and Android. A first API will be available in May.

Bluetooth tracking against coronavirus

Coronavirus spreads when an infected person has been in close contact with another person. Therefore, it is relevant to identify who has been in contact with whom. In the Netherlands, the cabinet is meditating on two applications. One to detect infections and another that provides more information. Apple and Google will facilitate the development of those applications.

It starts in May. Then a new API will be available to app builders. This allows them to track which citizens have been close to each other using Bluetooth tracking. Later, the two manufacturers devise a joint tracking platform that works identically on iOS and Android. That is more robust than an API and also makes an application unnecessary. It just gets stuck in operating systems. Participation is voluntary and companies say the system is as transparent as possible.

Privacy friendly method

It is important to know that this system does not require location data. GPS is not involved. In short, an iPhone or Android device will always send a Bluetooth signal with an anonymous and unique code. Other devices capture that code and register so that two users have been together. Simply put, smartphones list another smartphone that has been nearby. This makes it possible to detect new sources of infection and warn people in time.

To avoid permanent monitoring, the code / ID of each device is updated every 15 minutes. For example, citizens cannot be permanently monitored, but it can be established that two citizens have been close to each other. Unique codes are not sent directly to a central server, but remain on the iPhone or Android device.

This is how it works step by step

1. Two people are close to each other. Their phones exchange the tracking ID via Bluetooth and each one maintains a list of the codes they have received.
2. Later, one of the two people is diagnosed with COVID-19.
3. After the user has indicated in the application that they are infected, they are asked if they want to send all the unique codes that their phone has generated to a central server.
4. The app scans the unique codes on the server, and then checks if someone on the list has recently contacted the owner of the phone.
5. A warning will appear and further instructions will be given to the user.

Do you want to delve into technology? Apple has released an overview of the detailed technical documentation.